MANHATTAN, KANSAS, U.S. — Twenty-seven participants from across the U.S. involved in grain storage traveled to Kansas State University’s IGP Institute for the semi-annual IGP-KSU Grain Elevator Managers course.

Taking place May 4-8, the course included presentations from experts within Kansas State University and the grain industry.

According to Carl Reed, course coordinator and IGP Institute grain storage specialist, the goal of the course is to provide new managers the information they need to correctly interpret the experiences they will have when managing grain quality, and the insight they will require when evaluating the practices used by their predecessors.

“The purpose of the course is to supply grain-management information that is not available elsewhere and that cannot be learned by on-the-job experience, information that helps grain managers correctly interpret their experience so they can avoid errors and become more efficient,” Reed said.

The course covered personnel management, grain quality characteristics and grading, psychometrics related to aeration, operations costs, equipment handling, inventory management, grain receiving and shipping, grain monitoring and fumigation plans.

Former course participant, Tony Martens, said there are many misconceptions in the industry on how to complete tasks, and he learned a lot of information by getting different perspectives from the instructor and classmates.

“I now have a better understanding of the way grain works in the bin and how air moves moisture through it,” Martens said. “By coming here, my supervisors will get another perspective and it will help them like it has helped me.”